Page 5 of My Ogre Husband
I shrug, pretending to be much more aloof than I feel. “It’s okay. We weren’t a good fit. I think he was using me so he wouldn’t feel lonely.” I swallow hard to keep the pain and betrayal from showing on my face. “Just took me a while to get over it.”
“But you were clearly still sad when it ended,” Egorr says, reaching across the space between the couches to put a big, comforting hand on my arm. It’s gigantic, each of his blunt fingernails twice as big as my own thumb.
“Yeah,” I admit. “I guess I was sad. I thought it was for real between us, and it wasn’t. He made that pretty clear by the end.”
He nods. “I felt that way about Asha. My last girlfriend.” He sighs. “But it was completely one-sided. We went on a few dates, and I fell hard for her, but she wasn’t interested, not really. She cheated on me only a few months into the relationship.”
Instantly, I’m incensed. Shecheatedon him?
“Wow, what a bitch,” I say, without thinking twice about it. Then I cover my mouth. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I don’t know her at all. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Egorr’s laugh is big and booming, and his grin is affectionate.
“You’re fiery, Maddie,” he says, his nose twitching. “I like it.”
Now I’m the one taken aback that such a chill, quiet guy wouldn’t mind me being a bit of a brat. “You do?”
The big ogre sits forward on his couch, closer to me, like he wants to say something private. I can’t help but lean forward, too, so he can whisper to me whatever it is he wants to say.
“And that guy of yours?” he rumbles in my ear. “He’s a bastard.”
I don’t try to hold in my giggle. Egorr pulls away, both of us smiling. I decide then that I like him. He is handsome, in his own unusual way. His grin is infectious, and so honest and genuine that I feel warm all over.
I feel like I can trust Egorr.
“Thanks,” I say with a breath of relief. “Honestly, he was an asshole.” But now I have a chance for something different.
This time, I’m the one who puts a hand on Egorr’s knee. He arches an eyebrow.
“Egorr?” I ask.
“Yes?” He puts his hand on top of mine, and a shiver runs up my arm. We’ve only just met, but already we’re holding hands. And damn, I like it.
“Do you want to go on a date?” I ask. “Wherever you want. I don’t care.”
He’s surprised at first, but his expression quickly shifts to pleased. “I would really love that, Maddie.” He squeezes my hand a little tighter. “But you should pick the place, since you’re the one who lives in here and doesn’t get to go out much.”
I think about that. If I could go anywhere, where would I go? Besides the Bahamas, of course.
“How about an amusement park?” I ask, already feeling giddy. “I’ve always wanted to ride a rollercoaster!”
Egorr lets out another wonderful laugh. “Okay. I’ve only been on one in my life before, but I’d be happy to go ride a rollercoaster with you.”
Something about the way he sayswith youmakes me feel warm and fluffy all over. I think he likes me, and boy, does that feel good.
We make plans to meet over the weekend, when Egorr is available, and run them by Samantha. Then the date is set.
When Egorr leaves, I wave goodbye, and his shy wave back makes my heart melt. Saturday can’t possibly get here fast enough.
ChapterThree
I’m bouncing on my toes for the rest of the week, eagerly anticipating my date with Egorr. Celeste is a little smug when I tell her how our meeting went and that we hit it off.
“Hmm,” she says, dealing the cards, “he sounds like a good guy.”
“I think he is.” Of course, I won’t truly know for a while yet. People don’t always show their true colors at first, or so I learned with Shisek. “At the very least, he seems genuine.” And that goes a long way with me.
Then, finally, it’s Saturday morning, and I wait with one of the guards outside the walls of New Eden for Egorr to pick me up. He arrives a few minutes early, to my great satisfaction, in a tiny green sedan. When he gets out of it, I hold back the temptation to hug him. I think it would feel good to hug someone as big and soft-looking as Egorr.
